


Closer than expected

by kingxuppu



Series: Tales of Beetle and Chat Noire [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Dancing, Established LadyNoir, F/M, Female!Adrien, Identity Reveal, Male!Marinette - Freeform, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-14 07:07:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29788254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kingxuppu/pseuds/kingxuppu
Summary: Beetle is excited to take his girlfriend and partner Chat Noire to the heroes' gala for their third anniversary which means wearing fancy outfits and dancing. When He gives a little to much information to his girlfriend about his civilian life, Adrianne Agreste makes a plan to surprise her boyfriend Marin Dupain-Cheng.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Plagg, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: Tales of Beetle and Chat Noire [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2189589
Comments: 7
Kudos: 56





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My Betas for this work were derpysnoopy and Emperess.  
> Huge thanks for helping me out with this!

Marin couldn’t wait to see his girlfriend again. In just a few short days they would be celebrating their third anniversary together as a couple and their fourth as partners. In honor of the occasion the mayor would be hosting the heroes’ masquerade ball after a day full of excitement including fair games and a small parade. Normally the heroes wouldn’t turn up at the lavish parties, partially because Marin himself wasn’t accustomed to the formal setting and didn’t want to make a fool of himself and partially because Marin didn’t realize their suits could change to fit a formal setting. Once he did learn that though, he wasted no time in sketching out a suit for himself and a dress for Chat Noire.

He didn’t have Chat’s measurements, it would be pretty hard to explain as Beetle why he brought measuring tape on patrol and was asking for them, so he approximated with Adrianne’s measurements. A few months ago, he asked for her measurements saying that he wanted to practice drawing designs for models, since that was something he would have to consider as a designer, when in reality he was making designs for his super sexy superhero partner and girlfriend. Even if she never got to see them. But now that changed since Plagg needed to see his design in order to replicate it for the upcoming ball.

He transformed into Beetle and grabbed his Chat Noire sketch book that held all of his designs for her and only for her and made his way to their starting rooftop for patrol. Beetle caught sight of Chat Noire sitting on the flat rooftop, legs swinging above the open street as she waited for him to arrive. “Good evening, my knight”, he greeted as he landed by her side. He was excited to show his girlfriend all the designs he’s made for her, especially since he would get to see her in the dress that actually got him in trouble earlier in the day because he was daydreaming in class about seeing her in it. He managed to contain his outward joy to a reasonable level for a little bit.

“Hey Buggabeau”, she replied happily. She turned to give her boyfriend a kiss when she caught sight of the book in his hands. “What do you got there? Something special for me I hope?” She purred as she slowly inched closer to him. He just let out a light chuckle in response before tossing the sketchbook to her.

“It is for you actually. Go ahead, open it up.” Chat happily opened the non-descript book to find outfit after outfit: mostly casual wear, with some formal and semi-formal looks as well. Beetle saw the awed look on her face as his signal to elaborate; he walked around her and wrapped his arms around her waist before explaining. “One of my favorite things to do outside of spending time with you, is designing clothes. It’s my passion and I hope one day to make it big in the fashion world. I know how much you’ve wanted to go to the gala on our anniversary last year, so this year I agreed for us to attend. But if we’re going to go to some fancy party, we might as well look the part, so I designed something for the ball”. He flipped to about three quarters of the way through the book before stopping at a particularly stunning design.

A black sleeveless sweetheart neckline gown with two faint strings that tie around the back of her neck. Littered along the entirety of the dress were minuscule flecks of dark green glitter reminiscent of the stars she wore when she was Astrochat. An open slit that almost reached her hip ran along what would be her left leg on the dress with a silver zipper lining it. Finishing off the design were a pair of long dark green elbow length gloves which held only the faintest hints of claws at her fingertips.

The mask he envisioned was exquisite as well. It would appear to be made out of the same flowy material of the dress but have all the sturdiness and identity protection of her regular one. Instead of the plain black of her normal mask, this one would have several silver etchings in swirl patterns and in the center of each swirl would be a small burst of the same dark green glitter which she could already tell would bring out her cat eyes wonderfully.

He then flipped to the next page where his suit design laid. “This one is for me, in fact that is the only design in the entire sketchbook that wasn’t made specifically for you.” That comment made Chat look at her boyfriend in surprise.

“You made all of these, for me?” She asked almost breathlessly. She had seen plenty of beautiful designs all her life, from everything her father made, and the constant fashion shows she attended growing up, to Marin’s amazing designs that he would create as gifts for their classmates. She was so disappointed to have to tell Marin that he couldn’t make her something because her father forbade her from wearing anything that wasn’t _Gabriel_ brand; he looked incredibly saddened by that announcement even though he understood that she loved his work and would have wanted to wear it as well. When she learned that the scarf her father gave her for her fourteenth birthday was actually from Marin, she started wearing it as a part of her daily outfit since she couldn’t wear any of his other designs. It also worked out great as another hiding spot for Plagg.

“Of course, kitty. I didn’t have your measurements, for obvious reasons, but I estimated it with one of my classmates who has a similar height and body type to you. But that really doesn’t matter since Plagg just needs the design so he can replicate it.” He was shocked to hear the awe in her voice, but he needed to make sure his kitten knew she was loved. He placed a tender kiss on her cheek unaware of the gears that began turning in Chat’s mind. Instead of voicing the thoughts in her head she instead decided to confirm it.

“You couldn't take my measurements, so you instead decided to get handsy with a stand-in huh?” She asked teasingly knowing full well that her boyfriend was an absolute gentleman and that if it really was who she thought he was behind that mask, he was too enveloped with actually taking measurements and designing to get handsy.

He knew she was just messing with him but decided to play along. “Why, you saw right through my ploy. I got up in close with her just so I could design clothes for you”. They both laughed it off before Beetle lowered his voice to whisper in her ear “You know I only have eyes for you, and my classmate that I used as your stand-in is an actual supermodel who I used to have a crush on”, he turned her around in his arms so they were facing each other, “so tell me, what does that say about how I see you, love”. The smirk that pulled across her face before she kissed him was not just from their banter as usual, this time it was because she knew that Marin Dupain-Cheng was her boyfriend, and she couldn’t be happier.

“I can’t wait for the gala, when people see us dancing in these, nobody will be able to look away”. Her excitement made Beetle smile before he realized what she had said, and he looked away with a slight frown.

“Um, I don’t really know how to dance. I am more likely to step on your toes than do anything that even looks like dancing.” He faced her again with a soft smile. “But I can hold you and sway, if that’s ok?”

Chat tried to hide her disappointment the best she could, but the pout she made along with her flattened ears made the point come across clearly.

“Is dancing important to you Chat?” He asked, just because he’s never danced with anyone except Adrianne at Chloe’s birthday party and in New York doesn’t mean that it couldn’t be the world to her.

“I’ve danced with quite a few people over the years. I like dancing just not always my dance partner, there’s only one guy who I actually enjoyed dancing with, even though my friends were trying to set us up since he had a crush on me.” She admitted knowing full well that he would get jealous over himself.

“Oh, is there someone I need to pay a visit to?” Beetle responded with a hint of anger hidden beneath his voice which just made Chat Noire laugh inside. She knew that she should tell Beetle that she knew who he was, but she had a plan for her reveal.

“Don’t worry My Lord, I’m sure you could scarab them away, but they got over their crush on me and they’re happily in a relationship now.” Chat playfully answered which made Beetle’s anger instantly dissipate. “But can I ask you a favor, bug?”

“Anything for you.” He instantly replied.

“Can you ask your friend to teach you how to dance tomorrow?” She asked which made him back up in surprise from such a request. “If she really is a supermodel, then she’s probably learned how to dance properly then we can dance together the next night. Dancing is one of my favorite things, and I want to be able to experience that with you. Please My Lord, for me?” She knew exactly what she was doing, making her eyes go extra wide with a slight tilt to her head as she looked up at him, his defenses were crumbling and fast to the power of her kitten eyes.

He let out a defeated sigh, “Fine, I don’t know how I’m going to explain why I need to learn how to dance when everyone thinks I’m single, but I’ll ask her.” Chat pulled her into a tight hug thanking him before the two of them went through the sketchbook and discussing their favorite designs. Beetle tore out the dress design and one of Chat’s favorite casual outfits at her request so she can look at it later. With both pieces of paper tucked safely in her pockets, they did a quick patrol of the city before saying goodnight and returning to their own homes.

* * *

As Chat Noire dropped into her room and detransformed into Adrianne, she didn’t even give Plagg a moment to breathe before looking him dead in the eye and saying “Beetle is Marin, I know it.”

“Yeah, now give me some cheese before you talk my ear off about this.” He replied hastily as usual. He dropped into her hands where a slice of camembert laid ready for him which he greedily gobbled down while Adrianne vibrated with excitement.

“I knew my cat would figure it out first”. He announced with a smirk which was all the approval his wielder needed to begin talking.

“Plagg, it’s Marin! He’s the only person I’ve ever _wanted_ to be Beetle; when I saw Ratagain turn into Marin (god he was a cute mouse) I was nearly heartbroken since I knew I couldn’t have them both, but he must have tricked me somehow. He’s always been so kind, caring, smart, and creative. Even when he had a crush on me, he was always respectful and pushed aside his feelings to help me if I needed it!” She exclaimed, happily letting out the excitement she held in during their patrol. “Plus, if I can get father’s approval, I’ll be able to wear Marin’s designs like the other girls get to do and more than just my scarf or that bowler hat that goes with absolutely nothing I own.” She huffed.

“Oh, and I thought you weren’t jealous of…” Plagg began sarcastically before being cut off.

“Shut up you cheese gremlin”, she quickly snapped which only made the smile on her kwami’s face grow even wider. “You knew I was jealous. I may wear designer clothes every day, but they’re either too bland and repetitive or too revealing to be worn to school without guys tripping over me. But Marin’s designs are all unique and express the personality of who they’re designed for, even in every single design he showed me tonight. But _noooo_ , I have to wear _Gabriel_ clothes unless it’s specifically for a promotional event with another company. Maybe I can get father to make his designs for me so I can wear them, he has enough resources to do that”. She rambled to which Plagg just watched with complete bliss, seeing Adrianne truly happy was rare, and he hadn’t seen her this happy in years.

“Spots is the guardian; you should have learned each other’s identities shortly after he got the box. So, are you gonna tell him tomorrow? Maybe while you romantically practice dancing together”. The kwami teased which made Adrianne blush from the mental image before shaking it off and letting an evil smirk cross her lips.

“Oh no, if I can manage it, I’ll have father make this design for me to wear on Monday, and then I can surprise him with it in that morning. Maybe bring back flustered Marin back from when he had a crush on Adrianne instead of being in love with Chat? What do you think?” She asked, seeing her cheshire grin mirrored on his face.

“Oh, I love it. It would be better if you were at his house when he woke up, he may trip and fall. That gives you the opportunity to flirt with him and just watch him melt.” Plagg cackled at his own suggestion while Adrianne began contemplating how to ask her father about making her boyfriend’s design for her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrianne sets her plan in motion

Adrianne awoke the next morning with a mission in mind: get her father to make Marin's design and get his approval to date him. She didn’t necessarily need the approval, she turned eighteen in just over a week and he can’t do anything then except not give her a job (she’s got enough money without it for that not to be a concern and hey, free schedule!) or kick her out (she’ll move in with Marin, sometimes she gets the idea his parents love her more than they love him).  Adrianne prepared for school in record time, thinking that talking to her father would take a while.

Checking and double checking before she left her room that she had the casual outfit and not her Chat Noire dress, Adrianne planned on making her way to the dining room table for a quick breakfast before going to her father’s atelier to tell him about her boyfriend, but for better or worse, Gabriel was already sitting at the table reading financial reports for the still ongoing third quarter. Gathering all of the courage she could with the help of Plagg purring in the scarf around her neck, Adrianne pulled the design from her shirt pocket and placed it in front of her father before walking to the other side of the table and sat down. The head of the house looked down at the image.

On the page sat a design for a button down bright white blouse with off the shoulder quarter length sleeves which ruffled at their ends making them appear like clouds. The light blue ankle length jeans which the blouse was shown being tucked into was clearly designed with Adrianne’s figure in mind. Gabriel couldn’t find a fault with the design which was rare, especially for something he didn’t design which he was sure he didn’t.

“What is this?” He inspected the design intently. “This is absolutely stunning”, he said with as much pride as she's heard him use in the last four years, “Did you design this, do I have hope for you being a designer yet?” The wide eyes she saw gave her hope that maybe he would take the news better than she originally planned.

“My boyfriend made that for me,” the anger in his eyes as her words sunk in made his intention to berate her for having a boyfriend obvious, so she interjected before he could. “I know what you’re about to say, ‘ _ a single model sells better’ _ and  _ ‘you are too young and irresponsible to have a boyfriend’ _ . But father, I’ve been dating him for almost three years, and I know that we are not only good for each other, but we will probably be together for the rest of our lives. Now onto information you’ll actually like. He's a wonderful designer and, between you and him, I don’t know who’s designs I like more, with all the designs he showed me recently I am leaning towards him. He is a perfect gentleman. In fact, neither of us knew who we were dating until recently when he talked about having a supermodel classmate who he got measurements from to estimate my measurements.”

Her father sat in silence taking in everything he’s heard, while certain parts of the story didn’t make total sense, he had to admit, her boyfriend’s design skills were impeccable. Certainly, this designer could become the future of  _ Gabriel _ design-wise at least, since Adrianne may take the business side to help her possibly future husband. Not to mention the look she had in her eyes when she spoke about him. Her mother would get the same look in her eyes when defending him to her father. He was just a nobody designer who wanted to create a fashion empire, and Emilie protected him, defended him, and gave him the opportunity to follow his dream and even create a family. Before he could get a word out Adrianne spoke again.

“And if you dare try to keep me from him, I will remind you that I turn eighteen in just eight days and I will walk away from this home and into his. I will do anything to be with him.” Her voice almost came out as a hiss towards the end of her statement which made Gabriel freeze before he regained his composure.

“You remind me of your mother when she first brought me home to her father”, he reminisced. “If you love this boy as much as you say you do, then you have my blessing.”

His unusually soft voice surprised her leaving her completely stunned. He then decided to confuse his daughter further by looking down at the design in his hands and exclaiming loudly.

“Especially if he can design like that. Nathalie, search for a wedding venue, Adrianne’s getting married! The wedding is this spring!” A loud crash could be heard from a nearby hall. He turned focused on his daughter who was both slack jawed and blushing profusely at her father’s change in demeanor. He couldn’t help the chuckle that passed his lips.

“Y-you really mean it; you’re going to allow me to date him?” Her excitement was contagious, and he walked around the table with open arms which she happily ran to. He hadn’t hugged his daughter in such a long time and now that she was in his arms, he realized how much of a mistake that was; he missed really seeing how much she’d grown over the years.

“I can see how much you love him; I can’t keep you from him even if I wanted to. Just don’t rush anything, ok?” He asked as he tightened his hold on his nearly adult daughter. “I may have joked about you getting married this spring, but I don’t think I could take it if you did and I’m sure some gossip pages will have their way with that information.”

“We’re in it together for the long run father, don’t worry.” She followed suit and tightened the hug before she released him, remembering what else she wanted to ask him. “Can you make that outfit for me by Monday? Like I said he has no idea his girlfriend is actually a supermodel and I want to surprise him by wearing this on Monday and maybe giving him a nosebleed when he catches sight of me.” She smiled conspiratorially to her father who looked at the design in hand.

“He’s quite detailed with his designs and therefore would be fairly easy to follow, at least for someone practiced at making designs a reality”. He paused taking the time to consider the logistics of making the outfit. “I’ll have one of my top seamstresses start the design today and what they don’t get done I’ll finish over the weekend”, He said it as if he were analyzing any other design for his company before a soft smile pulled at his features. “I’ll have this finished for you before dinner on Sunday, maybe even before lunch depending on how all of it goes.”

“Thank you, father. Oh, by the way, can I hang out with him today; he told me that he never learned how to dance so I convinced him to ask his ‘supermodel friend’ to teach him.” She snickered to herself while her father shook his head fondly.

He sighed happily “You’re just as bad as your mother. Yes yes, I’ll have Nathalie clear your schedule this afternoon. Be home by eight for dinner ok?”

“Sure thing. See you at lunch father.” She bounded out the door in the best mood he’s seen her in in a long time. As the door closed Nathalie rounded the corner into the dining room where Gabriel stood smiling watching the door.

“Um sir?” Nathalie began. Gabriel turned to see her pale shocked face, obviously trying to process what she had heard mere moments ago. He already started this mess, might as well continue it.

“Perfect timing Nathalie. Please clear Adrianne’s schedule for the day, she will be trying on wedding dresses with her friends. She will tell me what elements she likes so I can begin the design process. But that will be this weekend’s project, the rest of the day should continue as normal.” He said swiftly before making his way to his atelier suppressing his laughter as Nathalie stood there frozen in place.

* * *

School went by fairly normally except for the fact that Adrianne was in a really good mood. Not only had she gotten her father’s approval, but he seemed genuinely happy with her, something she hadn’t seen since before her mother disappeared. Not to mention that it finally hit her that  _ Beetle  _ sat behind her in class for years,  _ Beetle  _ had a crush on her civilian form and her hero form, not that people having a crush on two of the sexiest celebrities out there, specifically #1 as Chat Noire and #5 as Adrianne (she thinks it’s the fangs and leather), was surprising but he liked their personalities as well. Nino certainly noticed her better mood and when school let out for lunch, he stopped her.

“Hey dude, you seem the happiest you’ve been in a long time. Did your dad finally get a sense of humor or something?” He joked with a smile, as they walked out of the classroom.

“Actually, that’s exactly what happened”, she admitted which made Nino freeze and look at her expectantly. Sneaking a quick glance over to where Marin and Alya were, it was clear that Marin was talking to an angry Alya. He probably explained the situation to her and she’s not happy that she was left out of his love life. She continued to explain to Nino since it would take a while to work Alya down to a reasonable level of anger. “I explained to my dad that I’m dating someone and after a little bit of convincing he actually gave his approval then proceeded to joke about a wedding loud enough specifically so Nathalie could hear him. I’m pretty sure she broke one of the vases he bought at an auction when I was little.” She laughed at the memory missing Nino’s hurt expression.

“Dude, you’re dating someone and didn’t tell me?” He asked with a soft voice. She couldn’t exactly tell the truth so went for a half-truth to hopefully give a reasonable explanation.

“I’m sorry Nino, look I’ve been trying really hard to keep it a secret because of my father. It’s such a big secret that he doesn’t even know he’s dating Adrianne Agreste. I only learned his name yesterday and he’ll learn mine Monday.” She answered as honestly as she could while keeping her secret identity intact.

He appeared to consider this for a moment before letting out a defeated sigh. “Alright, I guess that makes sense,” he conceded before adding playfully, “But, you owe me for this, got it?” Adrianne nodded fervently before she caught sight of Marin and Alya making their way to the two of them, Alya bearing a scowl.

Knowing what Marin was about to ask she leaned over to Nino to whisper in his ear quickly “You have to keep this entire conversation a secret, even from Alya. I’ll tell you what the plan for Monday is tonight.” She returned to her normal stance ignoring Nino’s confused expression. “Hey guys what’s up?” She asked as their significant others made their way to them.

“ _ Marin _ has something he has to ask you”. Alya said with utter disappointment flowing from her lips with more than a hint of anger mixed in as well. She crossed her arms and stared at Marin as he withered under her gaze before asking his question.

“Hey, Adrianne. My girlfriend wants me to meet her at the masquerade tomorrow and I don’t know how to dance. I was wondering if you could teach me?” He asked with uncertainty, obviously still recovering from Alya’s questioning. Adrianne noticed how Nino’s eyes widened as soon as Marin said girlfriend, looking between Adrianne and Marin rapidly.

Suppressing a smirk, she subtly winked at Nino before answering. “Yeah, I actually have a rare free day. I can at the very least teach you how to do the basic dance steps so you and your girlfriend can enjoy your time together.”

Marin let out a sigh of relief at how easily she accepted his request, blissfully unaware that she suggested it in the first place. “Thanks, she loves dancing and when I told her I couldn’t dance she seemed so sad.” He said with a prominent frown. “I don’t want to mess this up, especially since she’s mentioned she hadn’t liked most of her dance partners in the past.” A hint of jealousy flickered on his face, but it passed quickly. 

Adrianne knew that Nino and Alya had lunch plans, but she needed to cut those down to up her chances of Nino not spilling to Alya, and she was not afraid to play a little dirty.

“I’m sure you’ll do great, I’ll make sure you have the basics down before we’re through, maybe a little extra if you can manage it.” She assured, which made Marin give a genuine smile. Now time to ruin that smile she loved so much. “Oh, by the way, how long have the two of you been together? It must be pretty new since we haven’t heard about it, right?” It took everything in Adrianne’s power not to burst out laughing the moment she saw him stiffen up like a rod, and Plagg’s muffled laughter in her scarf wasn’t helping in the slightest, but she managed it.

Alya narrowed her eyes at her best friend and asked pointedly “Yeah Marin, just how long  _ have _ you two been together?” He winced at Alya’s far less innocent asking of the question.

“We-we’re coming up on our third anniversary”, he quietly answered, but much to his disappointment, all three of his surrounding friends heard him.

“That’s great Marin! I’m glad you’re happy with her!” Adrianne beamed which only made Alya’s angry gaze burn even more. “I’m stealing Nino for lunch Alya, I hope you don’t mind.” She grabbed Nino’s arm and waved as they walked away.

Alya’s eyes never left Marin’s now nervously sweating form. “No problem, my lunch plans have just conveniently shifted.” Marin looked at Nino and Adrianne with a mix of desperation and fear to which Nino just shrugged and Adrianne mouthed a silent sorry. If she had actually said it, it would certainly be considered lying.

Once they we’re out of sight from Marin’s impending interrogation Nino turned to his best friend and asked, “Please tell me I misread the situation and you are not dating Marin behind all our backs, including his”. Adrianne didn’t even hesitate before responding.

“Nope, that just about sums it up. That boy’s been in love with me for almost four years, he just can’t escape me.” She sighed happily “And I can’t escape him either”.

Nino watched in silent wonder thinking about everything she’s said since class let out. “So… you knew exactly what question to ask to get Alya riled up?” He asked slowly.

“Yeah, I needed you to mellow out before facing Alya again. I don’t need you letting the cat out of the bag until Monday morning”. A mental image of herself wearing the outfit he designed waking him up floated through her head which caused her to finally crack and begin laughing. “Oh, oh my god” she said in between guffaws. “He’s gonna die when he finds out, then he’s gonna kill me for sicking Alya on him.”

Nino couldn’t help but laugh along “You’re evil, you know that Adrianne?” The two of them made their way to lunch where Adrianne explained her and Beetle’s well practiced explanation for if anyone found out they we’re in a relationship; luckily, they didn’t need to use it before now, but it still came in handy for explaining it to convince Nino. In retrospect, the reason it was so thought out was probably because Marin had an Alya interrogation in mind for finding out about his secret girlfriend.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrianne teaches Marin how to dance and talks with him about his former crush on her.

Chloe somehow got wind of Marin asking Adrianne to teach him how to dance at some point before school ended because as the two of them made their way to the awaiting car Chloe decided to make her annoyance known.

“Dupain-Cheng!” Most students didn’t even bother reacting to the heiress as they have become accustomed to her trying to call out the class president, while others decided to watch on not having anywhere to be soon. Marin and Adrianne both let out a sigh. Neither wanted to deal with Chloe right now; Marin just wanted to learn how to dance so he can make tomorrow night fun for Chat while Adrianne wanted to teach her boyfriend how to dance and tease him relentlessly.

“I heard that you’re trying to get Adrianne to teach you to dance, ridiculous utterly ridiculous!” Before Adrianne or Marin could even respond Chloe began again. “I can’t believe it, I thought you got over your crush on her but now you’re lying about having a girlfriend just to get close to her.” Marin’s face went aflame at her words and he turned his head away from the blondes, he never did tell Adrianne how he felt about her back in college. Now he would have to tell her about it as she taught him how to slow dance; this was not how he wanted this day to go.

Marin couldn’t even begin to think of a response besides running and hiding before Adrianne interjected.

“That’s enough Chloe!” Adrianne demanded with the most authoritative voice Marin or Chloe had ever heard her speak. “Yes, Marin asked me to teach him how to dance, and yes, several years ago he did have a crush on me. But guess what, Marin was the first guy who I ever thought had a crush on the real me. Not the version of me that my father puts on the runways and on billboards, and not the version of me my father makes me present as to be a proper Agreste, but Marin fell for the Adrianne that tried her best to make a friend with someone who believed I was just like you. Marin started to have a crush on me after I gave him my umbrella in the rain, and I know that if Marin asked me out back then I certainly would have said yes, because I knew he would have made me happy.” The crowd was stunned silent by Adrianne’s admission.

“I hope you understand that whoever Marin has chosen to be with is certainly a lucky girl, and if he is willing to ask his former crush to teach him how to dance despite knowing how people like  _ you  _ might take it just so he can please his lady, then he is certainly one of the best men out there, so she better treasure him”. Chloe looked affronted by her long-time friend while Marin openly gaped at her. “Let’s go Marin.” She said swiftly as she opened the door and motioned for him to get in which he quickly obliged.

Adrianne looked at Chloe disapprovingly before entering the car herself, they had decided to practice at her house so they could have more room to move around and so her father could mess with Nathalie some more. She slumped in the car after nodding to the Gorilla to take them home while Marin watched her with wide eyes for a few moments when he caught sight of several large black garment bags in the front seat and his curiosity (and desire not to talk about the crush he had on her) got the better of him. “Hey Adrianne, do you know what those are?” He pointed to the bags which she had to move her head in order to see.

Once she realized what he was talking about she let out a loose chuckle. “Yeah, father is pranking Nathalie. She believes that I’m going to get married soon and instead of going back to school after lunch I went shopping for a wedding dress and that you’re coming over to help me decide on what designs I like the most. Hence the bags filled with last year’s clothing.” Marin just stared at her with questions flying through his head.

“Wedding dress? Your father pulling a prank?” He was stunned to say the least, Gabriel Agreste was notorious for his lack of emotion and sense of humor. But apparently, he pulled a prank, on his own personal assistant no less. “Did something major happen?” He asked curiously. If there was something going on with Gabriel, he needed to be prepared in case he saw him today.

“ It's a good thing, I promise. I’ll tell you the details later..” She assured with a smile which comforted Marin and made him think even more about what Adrianne had said to Chloe. Almost a year of panicking whenever he spoke to her, posters of her on his wall, all the plans she made with the guys (and sometimes the rest of the class too, including Miss Bustier) to confess, and she would have said yes at any point? It was mind boggling to think about, but he was with Chat now and he was happy, happier than he’d been the entire year prior to being with her. She made him feel wanted, like he mattered and that he was worthy of her attention. He had to make sure she knew she was worthy of his attention too because she often said she was a sidekick. But they were partners, both to each other and against Hawkmoth, and he wouldn’t let her forget that.

He was so caught up in his head that he didn’t even notice when they arrived at the Agreste mansion. “We’re here, take two of these bags, and follow my lead ok?” Marin numbly nodded and took the two bags before following Adrianne up the steps, once she knocked on the door, she asked Marin “What do you think about wedding dress colors, I know white is traditional but it’s also quite boring.”

Fashion, she was talking to him about fashion. She was one of his best friends regardless of the crush he had on her. He could talk about fashion without being an idiot, he’s got this. “White is traditional and therefore is what people think of when they think of wedding dresses but that just means the designs of the dresses are paid even more attention to”. Nathalie opened the door with a slightly disheveled appearance that neither teen had seen her have before, but Marin kept talking despite that. “Most colors can work for wedding dresses, although I highly recommend avoiding yellow, just because of the implications that had back in the day and could be brought up especially for you since you’re a famous supermodel and all that.”

“Oh, what does yellow mean?” She asked innocently even though she knew the answer, she just wanted Nathalie to hear this part.

“In roman times, prostitutes were identified by the yellow togas they wore. Thus, yellow dresses ,specifically wedding dresses, have a sexual connotation to them and not in a good way.” Marin explained, sure that he’d said that to her at some point last year, but willing to say it again just for the way Nathalie looked at them.

Nathalie just looked at them with tired yet desperate eyes and took a step forward past the door and made her way down the steps. “Adrianne, let your father know I’ll be taking the rest of the day off, and congratulations on your engagement.” Adrianne and Marin shared a hidden chuckle that Nathalie didn’t catch before making their way into the mansion.

“Thank you, Nathalie, I’ll be sure to let him know.” Adrianne called out behind her as the two teens walked into the mansion. “Let me take your bag to my room, we’ll practice in the foyer so that we aren’t bumping into furniture, but if you don’t mind taking the clothing bags and placing them on the dining room table, someone will collect them shortly.” Adrianne took their school bags to her room and quickly shot off a text to her father that she and her boyfriend were both at the mansion and that Nathalie took the rest of the day off due to the wedding joke. 

After setting up the speakers in the foyer to sync with her phone Adrianne began playing a familiar tune and got herself and Marin into the correct positions.

“Adrianne? Is-is this-”

"The song we danced to at Chloe's birthday party and when we were floating in front of the moon in New York? Yeah, I thought it was fitting that we dance to it again. Even if we never got together, I do think of this as our song.” Adrianne smiled sweetly at her boyfriend who blushed profusely at her words and tried to duck from her gaze but miserably failed to do so. “Marin.” She sweetly tried to coerce him to look at him again. When their eyes met, she began again. “Look, I want you to be happy. That’s all I want, and right now, that means I have to teach you how to lead in a dance, since I remember you dancing fairly well when I was leading you at Chloe’s party.”

Marin took a moment to think about dancing with Chat and making their anniversary special for her. “Ok, I’m sorry. This song just has romantic memories closely tied to it and when I had my crush on you, I would picture my future and the family I would have made with you to this song.” He let out a sigh as he shook his head. This was not what he had planned, he just wanted to learn how to dance, not relieve his crush on one of his two best friends. But the smile she was giving him was begging him to imagine what they’d be like together and he simply couldn’t go down that route especially since she said she would have said yes should he have only been brave enough to ask.

“I feel the same way.” Adrianne admitted which confused Marin. “Not long before I went to school for the first time, I met someone amazing and who I began pursuing relentlessly. It took him awhile to realize I wasn’t just flirting, and it took almost a year for him to come around and accept my invitation for a date.” As Marin’s eyes widened in realization, she knew she had him hooked. “During that first year, the only times I thought about abandoning my pursuit for him was when I was with you, to the point where sometimes you came very close to breaking my heart. Not on purpose of course, you couldn’t have known what I felt or that what you were doing could have even hurt me. You know I don’t have the greatest home life, and seeing everything that you had, the warmth of your home, the love you had for me, the care and willingness to help that you so freely gave, it did take a lot for me not to give up on him and run into your arms, even when you were smaller than me, especially after days when he rejected me.”

“I would look at you and see the prince my mother always told me I would find; now I’m lucky enough to see the confident Marin that stood up to Chloe and withstood Lila trying to turn the class against him and I get to have him as my best friend.” Marin was stunned silent by her words. She had a crush on him that she chose not to pursue because someone else caught her eye which was exactly how he felt about Chat, there were days when deciding to pursue Adrianne almost felt wrong but when Chat asked him on a date for their first anniversary as partners, he couldn’t say no. And he has yet to regret the decision as loving Chat Noire has been some of the best parts of the last three years.

“Thank you, Marin, for being such an amazing friend, and I cannot tell you how happy I am to find out that you found someone to be with.” As their song began to fade, they each realized the tears that were in the other’s eyes and their own. Adrianne began to wipe the tears from her eyes when suddenly Marin’s arms wrapped around the model tightly, holding her to his chest.

“Thank you, Adrianne. Thank you for being there even when you knew I had a crush on you, for not pushing me away even when I went overboard. And thank you for telling me all of this, it truly means a lot to know that I wasn’t just being an idiot fawning over you. I hope whoever you’ve found yourself with is genuine and treats you well.”

Adrianne responded by wrapping her own arms around him tightly. “He’s great and I’ll bring him to school with me on Monday because I want you to meet him.” With her face buried in his chest she didn’t need to suppress her smirk. “I think you’ll get along with him, I just found out he’s a designer. I guess I have a type.” Their mixed laughter filled the air as they broke apart.

“Now as much as I want to hear about this other designer who caught your eye, I would really like to treat my girlfriend to a dance tomorrow and I need you help with that.”

Adrianne smirked, “Let’s get to it then.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beetle and Chat Noire go to the heroes' gala and dance together, along with having a much needed conversation.

Chat Noire stood on the rooftop across from the gala admiring the flow of her dress while waiting for Beetle. Her dark green elbow length gloves provided a striking deep contrast to her silver and black figure. She felt the need to run the clawed tips of her gloves over the magical fabric that adorned her. She couldn’t believe how amazing the dress he made was. But she didn’t know if that was because of his amazing design or Plagg’s magic. Seeing as Plagg was never very considerate she’s going to put her money on Marin’s design skills. Now she waited for Beetle to arrive so she could admire his suit and how it looked on him; she hoped that the color of his suit made the red streaks he had in his hair when he was beetle pop.

As she thought about that she heard the familiar zip of a yo-yo and the sound of a leather soled dress shoes landing next to her. “Sorry I’m late minou, I almost forgot to tell Tikki to slick back my hair.”

She trembled slightly, her cat eyes widened in surprise. A faint blush spread across her face. Chat was smitten at the sight of her bug’s perfectly combed hair with his signature dashing red streaks flowing handsomely. It looked so amazing on him. Everything about him was amazing. Including his self-designed suit.

The deep rich black coat with maroon trimmings looked perfect on his broad shoulders. His bright red dress shirt with black buttons succeeded in making his red streaked hair stand out. The darker red tie and gloves each bespeckled with small black dots that paid tribute to the ladybug along with his ladybug cufflinks.

But the real treat was his mask. Oh she wished she could have him keep that mask on full time. The gold ornate etchings matched with the tiny black gemstones that seemed to reflect his bright blue eyes that filled her dreams. She knew that she couldn’t take her gloves off, but she couldn’t help but want to run her fingers across its surface.

Chat Noire straightened herself and coolly walked up to her boyfriend and gave him a chaste kiss which he happily took before whispering in his ear “I think you look extra dashing today buggabeau.” Beetle flushed in response before gathering his composure once more.

“Ready to make our entrance, my knight?” He asked as he held out his arm for her to take.

“Tonight, I’m no knight. No, with a dress as stunning as this, I must be the fairest lady of them all.” She joked with an aloof tone which just made Beetle chuckle. He took her left hand in his, bowing to place a gentle kiss on her ring finger before looking back up to her face which now held a prominent blush.

“I couldn’t agree more. Shall we make our way down there My Lady?” Chat could only nod in response before taking her baton from where it was hidden as her zipper’s handle and transforming it back to its normal look.

“Together?” She asked with an unladylike squeak, slightly frustrated that Marin was able to make her this flustered.

“Together.” He assured latching his yo-yo on a ledge across the street. Chat Noire followed suit and extended her baton to ground level following Beetle’s arc to the small red-carpet area where the high-profile guests would arrive and talk to Nadja Chamack about their support for the heroes in their ongoing fight against Hawkmoth. As the super-duo landed, a small chorus of applause surrounded them from the reporter near-by and the guests who have yet to arrive.

“Beetle! Chat Noire!” Nadja called as she waved the heroes over to talk with her. Chat placed the baton back on her dress side, Beetle’s yo-yo taking the place his belt buckle should be before re-buttoning his suit up and walking with Chat to where Nadja is waiting for them.

“Good evening Nadja, it is good to see you again this evening.” He greeted, with Chat on his arm who nodded in agreement.

“It truly is. I wasn’t expecting to see you both tonight as you haven’t come in previous years.” She began politely, hoping to get a decent interview out of them both.

“Beetle only told me on Thursday that we were coming here for our third anniversary together, and since I love dancing it was a dream come true.” She answered happily like a celebrity, accustomed to the red-carpet interviews.

“Well seeing you both has been the highlight of my night, especially in such amazing outfits. We’ve never seen you wearing anything other than your various, shall I say, uniforms, over the years. Is there anything you can tell us about that?” Nadja asked with genuine curiosity.

“Our ‘uniforms’ as you say are based on our subconscious and how we see ourselves, this goes for Hawkmoth and Mayura too. As time goes on, our perceptions of ourselves have changed based on events in our lives and general growth.” Beetle answered easily having expected the question years ago when his outfit first changed after he and Chat started dating marking the first major shift of how he saw himself. “But the outfits we wear now are not going to be our standard. Over the years, miraculous holders have served many purposes, including bodyguards for royals, and have had to do many things such as appearing in court. And as you know, appearances mean a lot so our suits can change to reflect that.”

“Very interesting; I would have never expected heroes such as yourselves to be found in such high positions in history, but I guess times have changed.” She replied to Beetle with a sense of wonder before turning her attention to his partner. “Chat Noire, I’ve wanted to say something about your dress since I saw you. You look absolutely stunning in that dress; I have never seen anything quite like it. Is there anything you can say about it?”

Chat couldn’t be happier to have gotten the question directly instead of having to steal it from Beetle before he could take credit for his work as his superhero persona. “I love this dress; in fact it is probably the single most amazing dress I have ever worn. And I must thank my absolute favorite up-and-coming designer, Marin Dupain-Cheng for designing both my dress and Beetle’s suit.” Beetle’s raised eyebrows at Chat’s comment slowly fell. “I’ve kept an eye on his work ever since I found out about it, and when Beetle told me that we were going to be attending tonight I ran to Marin as I remember him telling me some time ago, he had formal wear with us in mind. I asked him for his designs for this event and he gave them to us so that our magic could replicate it.”

Chat Noire shared a look with him that said ‘I know who you are, and I love you’.

“Marin Dupain-Cheng designed your outfits. What a small world, he used to babysit my daughter Manon. I’m glad his talent is being recognized, even by the heroes of Paris. Enjoy your evening, you two, I hope you enjoy your anniversary together, congratulations on three years together.”

“And here’s to many more!” Beetle proclaimed before stealing a kiss from Chat. As they made their way into the building Chat leaned against Beetle lovingly as a subtle show of affection to her perfect partner. Every head turned to the heroes as they made their way towards the center of the room, several people obviously wanting to speak to them but were drowned out by the applause from the other guests.

After waving politely for a few moments, Beetle stepped away from Chat and held out his hand to her. “May I have this dance, My Lady?”

Taking his hand in hers she replied, “You may, My Lord.” Chat had Beetle lead her to the dance floor where they got into position with everyone else watching from the sides. The band began playing a waltz for them to share their first dance to.

“So, you know.” He said quietly as he led her in their dance. It wasn’t a question but rather just his way to breach the conversation.

“There can only be so many designers with supermodel classmates they had a crush on.” She replied with a slight turn of her lips which Beetle only smiled and shook his head to.

“I figured one of us would slip up eventually, but now here’s the real question.” He let go with one of his hands and she spun out before twirling back into his chest, her back flush against him. “Who is the beautiful woman that I have the privilege of calling my girlfriend?” He whispered cheekily into her ear.

“I’ll tell you Monday, I already have it planned out.” She responded with a wink before returning to her original position.

“Of course, you do.” They let the silence overtake them for a few moments longer.

“Thank you by the way.” Chat said with a blush as she looked into her eyes. “Thank you for learning how to dance and thank you above all else for choosing me.” The music came to a close, and the crown began to fill the dance floor as another song was preparing to be played. She laid a soft kiss on his cheek before whispering, “And for the record, I do treasure you. There’s not a single day that goes by that I don’t think about the amazing man who brought love I only dreamed of into my life.” As the new song began playing they danced in silence, with only their awe filled gazes separating them.

* * *

“So, My Lady.” He purred leaning over the table to get closer to her. “I’m going to have to get used to calling you that, now aren’t I?”

“Nuh-uh” she pushed him away back into his seat. She was thankful for the privacy the mayor gave them, having their dinner served on a secluded balcony far away from the other guests. “I’m still your knight in shining leather, and when you find out who I am, you are going to call me ‘princess’ and you will be my prince.” She firmly stated having clearly thought about this.

“You and royalty. Why do you love it so much?” Beetle asked honestly, letting his chin rest in his palm.

“I’ll tell you but don’t go try looking up what I’m going to tell you.” She thought for only a moment before explaining. “My mother was an actress, and when I was little, she brought me to work one day and it was amazing. She was playing a princess who snuck into a ball of another kingdom and fell in love with a lord who she danced with before realizing he was a prince and eventually marrying him unifying the kingdoms. I watched the big ballroom scene be filmed in awe, such wonderful dresses and suits, the titles everyone would call each other, and just the setting in general. I even tried to make my hero name have something to do with royalty, but it just wouldn’t work.” He didn’t need to know quite yet that she had worked it into her name when she was Queen Cobra, but he’d figure it out soon enough. “My mother told me countless tales about the adventures of princes, princesses and the knights sworn to protect them. And it was one of the last things we talked about before…” She quietly cried remembering her mother telling her how she would find a prince who cared about her not because she was a princess but because she was herself.

“I asked my mother how to dance after her scene was finished and soon enough I was taking dance classes and loving it but missing the magic I saw when I watched my mom. And tonight, I felt that magic. Dancing in your arms knowing that the boy I’ve loved both with the mask and without it, I couldn’t have asked for a better anniversary than that. Thank you.” She wiped her eyes noticing that his eyes were wet as well when suddenly he pulled a small dark red velvet box from his suit coat and placed it on the table in front of him making her breath catch.

“Before I found out you knew who I was, I was actually going to propose to you tonight. This ring is still yours once we graduate since I think my papa would flip if you introduced yourself as my girlfriend with a ring as beautiful as this one on your wedding finger.” Chat’s eyes darted between the closed box and Beetle’s eyes with absolute love as she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “And believe it or not, this ring is our right to have. This was the engagement ring the first black cat got the first ladybug, made with Tikki and Plagg’s magic so it can even transform with us. Tikki felt its presence in an antique shop when I was walking by and I had to buy it, if only so I could pass it down to the next black cat and ladybug. But when I got home, I stared at it and thought about a future with you and I was so happy I cried for hours. Imagine my surprise when that day my best friend and crime fighting partner who I just imagined marrying and having kids with asked if she could treat me to dinner to celebrate having our miraculous for a full year. Do you remember what I said?”

“It’s a date.” She answered softly.

“Those stunning green eyes of yours looked at me like I was crazy, but that first date was one of the most amazing nights I’ve ever had.” He put the still unopened box back into his suit jacket much to Chat’s displeasure.

“Wait! But I haven’t gotten to see it!” She cried trying to get him to show her the ring that he teased her with.

“And I haven’t proposed yet.” He responded with a soft smile. “My maman actually saw it because I left it out on my desk while I was still cleaning it; she didn’t mention it. That was until Alya interrogated me yesterday and she happened to drop the ‘oh so that was an engagement ring?’ so casually into the conversation. Alya was pissed but wasn’t able to see it because we needed to get back to class.” Chat Noire had to actively stop herself from bursting out laughing, which didn’t go unnoticed by her boyfriend. “Oh, you think that’s so funny huh, wait until I introduce you to Alya and her famous interrogations.”

Chat stopped laughing and suddenly became very pale. “Oh no. I did not think that far ahead.” Beetle couldn’t help but smirk raising an eyebrow at her misery. “Let’s just say, you wouldn’t be introducing me to Alya or her interrogations.” That made his eyes blow wide quickly. “I deserve what’s coming to me.” She moaned realizing all the fun she had yesterday at Marin’s expense would be repaid in kind when Alya tears into her Monday morning. But it would have been worth it because now she will be with him in and out of the mask.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrianne wakes up Marin.

Adrianne woke up super early Monday morning taking extra time to style her hair with soft curls, wanting to change up her usual long neat locks both in and out of costume. Admiring the finished product of both Marin and her father’s work, she put on her newest, now her favorite, bright white blouse along with her scarf that paired beautifully with her chosen look. As she made her way downstairs to eat breakfast she noticed her father sitting at the table with no tablet or paper in sight, waiting for her.

“Good morning, father!” She cheerfully greeted as she hugged him. Taking her seat, she began cutting the omelette waiting for her. “Thank you for making this father. I can’t wait to see his reaction when he sees me in it. Marin is going to be an absolute mess; I doubt he’ll even be able to form words.” She chuckled to herself, missing the designer’s interested gaze.

“Marin Dupain-Cheng, did you hear he designed the outfits Beetle and Chat Noire wore to the Heroes’ gala?” He asked with an interested tone.

“They truly were amazing, weren’t they? I know he mentioned off-handedly that he had designed clothes based off of all the miraculous holders including Hawkmoth and Mayura a few months ago, but he probably mentioned it to the heroes when Chloe was akumatized into Empress. And seeing as you aren’t the only person to have praised and shown off his work, I’m not surprised that the heroes might recognize him and ask for his designs.” She recited the story she and Beetle came up with after dinner to both protect his identity and make sure Hawkmoth didn’t try to target those around him, such as herself.

He hummed in thought before bringing his coffee to his lips taking a slow sip. “If he would be interested in bringing those designs to life, I’m sure we can partner to make a  _ Gabriel _ collaboration collection. Especially since I believe he would take over my position in the future?” He asked, raising an eyebrow, hoping to get an answer.

“I think he’d like that, but I’d have to ask him. We have a lot we need to talk about today, and I need to be there before he wakes up.” Adrianne answered after finishing her plate. She quickly slung her bag over her shoulder before making her way to the door. “I’ll see you after school father, love you!” She descended the front stairs to where the Gorilla was waiting for her, hoping to make it to the Dupain-Cheng bakery before Marin woke up,but knowing him, she could arrive five minutes before school started and he’ll still be asleep.

* * *

As Adrianne entered the bakery in the midst of the early morning rush, she called to Papa Tom to let him know she would be having breakfast with them that morning. Over the past four years, Adrianne had practically become part of the Dupain-Cheng family as being third wheeled together and being taken only improved her and Marin’s friendship. It wasn’t uncommon for her to spend a free Saturday with him, either designing clothes or playing Mechastrike. She happily bounded up the stairs and entered the apartment where Sabine was preparing to make breakfast. Seeing as there was still over an hour until school started, she knew there was no way that Marin would be up yet, she could take her time.

“Good morning Maman Sabine.” Adrianne greeted hugging her surrogate mother tightly.

“Adrianne! I wasn’t expecting to see you this morning, what brings you by? And that’s an extremely cute blouse you have on.” She commented lovingly, already grabbing extra ingredients to make Adrianne a plate.

“Thank you, I wanted to wake up my boyfriend and show him one of his designs that my father produced over the weekend.” The blonde said cheerfully. Sabine raised an eyebrow curiously at her before grabbing the younger woman’s hands, inspecting them, smiling at the sight of the rose gold ring..

“I thought he was going to propose to you Saturday night, Chat Noire, though there’s no one else I wanted more as a daughter-in-law than my Adrianne.” Sabine said comfortingly with a hint of surprise. Adrianne’s wide eyes stared back at her for several long moments before realizing she probably wanted her to respond.

“Uh, thank you, he said he was going to propose but since I told him I knew his identity he is going to wait until after we graduate. But how did you know?” She asked, completely dumbfounded by the turn of events.

“Oh, Marin isn’t as quiet as he thinks he is. Tikki told me he planned on proposing when we had cookies and coffee like we do every Saturday morning. Marin doesn’t know I know, you know how panicky he gets, and I doubt Tom knows Marin is Beetle, he’d get too worried about his safety and try to run out and help fight the akumas himself.” She laughed with amusement at the expense of her husband, but switched tones to address Adrianne with concern,“ I was checking both your hands for rings, I’m disappointed to only see one.” She frowned and turned away to continue preparing breakfast. “Oh, have you seen the ring he got you?”

Adrianne huffed in annoyance before turning her head to the hatch for Marin’s room. “No.” she grumbled. “He said since he didn’t propose he didn’t need to show me.” She was still pissed about that, but she understood his reasoning.

“It truly is gorgeous; you’ll love it when he asks you to marry him. Now his first alarm is set to go off in a few minutes, so just to be safe you might want to head in there now if you want to wake him up.”

“Thanks, Maman Sabine, we’ll be down quickly. One supermodel and one puddle will be joining you for breakfast!” Both women chuckled at the thought as Adrianne made her way up the stairs and into Marin’s room. Slowly climbing the ladder to her boyfriend’s sleeping form, she made sure to not make any noise with her heels to alert him to her presence.

She heard his soft snoring as she neared his mattress and couldn’t help but smile when she caught Tikki’s eye. Putting her finger to her lips, Adrianne told her to be quiet before setting herself next to his hips so she could easily reach his face. Right as she got comfortable, Marin’s first alarm out of nine went off.

Groggily he reached over to try and shut off his alarm, but Adrianne got there first. With a content smile falling on his lips she decided that now would be the best time to act. Brushing his hair out of his face she leaned down kissing him for the first time as Marin. After holding herself there for a few moments she finally pulled away and quietly snickered at the lip gloss sheen left of his lips.

“Good morning, my prince.” She said sweetly, enjoying the sight of her boyfriend so out of it.

“Good morning, my knight.” He replied, still half asleep, with a smile firmly on his face.

“Nuh uh uh” Adrianne cheekily replied. “Remember what I told you to call me when we’re civilians?”

Confusion pulled at his features despite his eyes staying closed. “Civilians?” His eyes suddenly were wide open and staring at Adrianne’s radiant face, when his body caught up to his face he sat up quickly, letting his blanket fall from his shoulders. “P-p-pri-princess?”

“There we go!” she cheered before letting her eyes drift to his bare chest. “And your princess loves seeing your abbs you keep hidden from the world.” Running her hands down his chest she slowly pushed him back down which Marin couldn’t even process the need to resist as he was still dealing with Chat and Adrianne being one person.

“W-wa-w-wait.” Marin stumbled out trying to cover his chest with his blanket which became more difficult with Adrianne sitting on it. “Y-y-you my-my, tha-that’s m-mine.” She could only guess he was referring to her, or rather his, blouse based on where he was looking, although her eyes were focused on his delicious abbs.

“Oh this?” She asked using one hand to gesture to her outfit. “I had the design for it which my father began working on after he gave me approval to date my amazing” she placed a kiss on his lips, “Talented,” another kiss, “Oblivious,” kiss again, “Designer boyfriend! Especially since his designs were flawless and already had my exact measurements written in.”

“I-I-I b-boyf-friend? A-approve?” Marin asked with as much brain power as he could muster, which wasn’t much since his best-friend-slash-girlfriend-slash-crime-fighting-partner was practically sitting in his lap on his bed wearing one of his designs which did  _ so much _ for her curves.

“Yeah, he approves of you.” Her eyes fell upon a suspicious bump in the blankets which just made her smirk grow impossibly wide. “Oh, and I see you approve of me wearing this outfit.” Marin’s face quickly turned tomato red as he tried again to pull his blanket above his face. “Why Marin, is that my baton in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?”

Tikki and Plagg’s laughter got Marin’s attention as he turned to see them enjoying his torment (read: teasing). “T-t-tra-taitor!” He stuttered, pointing a wobbly accusatory finger to the red fairy which just made Plagg laugh even harder while Tikki only shrugged.

“Oh, don’t let them interrupt us.” Adrianne said in a sultry tone which had Marin staring at her as he audibly gulped. She leaned down his ear to whisper, “We have something  _ very  _ important we need to do.” She pulled away and finished him off with a wink.

“W-wh-wha-oh-god-wha-what’s t-that?” Adrianne's eyes were only half lidded as she gazed at him. Marin had thought about this moment for a while now, he never imagined this was how it was going to happen but he couldn’t complain.

“Breakfast.” It took Marin’s brain a moment to realize what she said was not anything near what he was expecting.

“W-what?”

“Breakfast, maman Sabine is waiting for us.” Adrianne booped his nose before heading down the ladder and looking through his closet for a matching outfit for him to wear. Marin however, was too stunned by the mental whiplash of the last five minutes to do anything except stare at his skylight in disbelief. After a solid moment spent reflecting on what just happened, he sat up, ready to confront his girlfriend.

“Adrianne-” He began before being cut off by a surprisingly well aimed pair of jeans to the face along with a white collared shirt and a light blue jacket that was nearly a perfect match for the scarf he had made for her.

“Don’t be long pretty boy, wouldn’t want to keep your princess waiting now would you?” Adrianne swiftly made her way down stairs once Plagg and Tikki were cozily secured in her scarf, the three of them trying their best to hold in their laughter and collectively failing.

“Is he up already?” Sabine asked only part way through making buckwheat crepes topped with sausage, an egg and cheese, purposely giving the superhero on a model diet extra protein and calories.

“Oh, he’ll be down shortly.” She snickered remembering how red his face got. “I may or may not have teased him within an inch of his life, but I’m sure he’ll be down shortly. Got any camembert for Plagg?”

“No, it’s not something we typically carry, but Tikki did warn me he likes cheese so I have a mini crepe filled with swiss and brie just for him.” As soon as swiss was mentioned, a black blur shot out from Adrianne’s scarf finding purchase with his mouth already around one edge of the crepe barely bothering to chew.

“I will accept this,  Miànbāo shī.” Plagg said between bites as he devoured the crepe in seconds.

“Awww, you’re so cute!” Sabine reached to scratch between his ears when he suddenly hissed at her.

“Only my kit and her bug can touch me, sorry Miànbāo shī, take care of my kit though and we’ll see about changing that.”

“I wouldn’t dare stop caring for my Adrianne, you have my word.” Sabine promised. Plagg took a moment to stare her down before grumbling some sort of response before floating back to the scarf.

* * *

After a minute or two of waiting for Marin, she watched him come down the stairs matching Adrianne near perfectly except for his still blushing face. “Princess…” He started off somewhat threateningly despite how his voice still wavered.

“My prince, it’s nice to finally be able to walk to school together now, isn’t it?” She asked with faux innocence. “Hurry up and eat breakfast, I want to be able to get my interrogation over with before school starts, and I can’t do that if you try and get back at me now.” A flash of realization passed his eyes, widening as he understood what exactly she did the last few days.

“You set me up for an Alya interrogation!” Adrianne’s only slightly sheepish smile along with a shrug was the only response she could give. Marin scoffed, “You know what, when Alya’s questioning us today, I’m going to show her and Nino your engagement ring, you’ll have to wait until I propose though.”

Adrianne’s nose crinkled in disgust, not liking having other people see  _ her _ ring before she got to see it, but she did understand she messed with him a lot since Thursday. “Fine, but your knee better be hitting the ground as soon as we’ve graduated.” She relented.

Marin smirked, “I wouldn’t have it any other way, love.”


End file.
